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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · ground · cabinet · object · rush · wake · mouse · root

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ground — a position
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. root — the cause
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. object — to protest
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wake — a trail
  15. root — of a word
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. object — an aim
  21. ground — crushed
  22. object — a thing
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com